Ferrari’s Technological Innovations Part 3: From V12 to Twin-Cylinder

At the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari unveiled LaFerrari, powered by a V12 engine capable of 963 horsepower, assisted by the Hi-Kers system. This system, by recovering energy during braking, provides the engine with an extra boost through electric power. Luca di Montezemolo, Ferrari's President and CEO at the time, personally chose the name LaFerrari in honor of Enzo Ferrari, who always wanted his cars to feature such sophisticated engineering. This choice made them iconic on both tracks and roads. The name represented a commitment, as electric cars began emerging, to never betray the founder’s spirit.

LaFerrari presented in 2013 in Geneva is the first Ferrari to adopt hybrid technology. The V12 combustion engine produces 800 hp, paired with an electric motor delivering 163 hp.

However, Enzo Ferrari's true goal was motor excellence, which at the time was best expressed with the V12 engine. But it was not a monopoly: looking back at the company's numerous innovations, one sees how many different engines were used in racing. Last week, we discussed the four-cylinder inline engine with screw-in liners, which won the first two World Titles. But the Formula 1 regulation changes in 1954 imposed naturally aspirated engines of 2500cc or supercharged engines of 750cc. Ferrari pursued both fronts: the experimentation with the small 750cc supercharged engine was quickly abandoned in favor of a revolutionary yet ultimately unfeasible idea. The concept was to have a car with power at low rpm for success on mixed and slow circuits like Monaco. Engineer Lampredi was tasked with developing a twin-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder and dual ignition. Its possible advantages included compactness and reduced weight. Despite producing 160 hp at 4800 rpm with potential up to 5200 rpm, the engine’s major flaw quickly emerged: vibrations so severe they damaged test benches. These vibrations would have transferred to the car in real-world use, which Ferrari had envisioned as much smaller and lighter than its competitors.

The twin-cylinder Ferrari engine developed by engineer Aurelio Lampredi. A prototype that was abandoned and never used.

Another highly innovative project was the 65° V6 engine designed by engineer Vittorio Jano, with support from Enzo Ferrari’s son, Dino, who tragically died young from muscular dystrophy. Initially created for Formula 2, this engine had a long and successful life on both road and track. It powered Mike Hawthorn’s 1958 World Championship-winning car with a 2500cc displacement and took the title again in 1961, reduced to 1500cc due to new Formula 1 regulations. The car, named “Shark Nose” for its pointed, distinctive front, was the legendary 156 F1. In Maranello, there was also an eight-cylinder engine, another of Jano's designs, which won Ferrari the World Championship in 1956 with Manuel Fangio, though it was originally created for Lancia Formula 1 and later donated to Ferrari by Gianni Lancia.

Dino Ferrari, an engineering graduate, focused on engines during his short time at Maranello.

Enzo Ferrari believed victory was due to the engine, attributing 70% of success to its power, flexibility, and reliability. This principle, in those heroic years, was proven by cars in the Sports category, like those competing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Mille Miglia. Many iterations of Lampredi’s four-cylinder engine, with nearly double the original displacement, remained solid and victorious, alternating with Maranello's other masterpiece, the classic V12 by Gioachino Colombo, which was frequently developed from its original structure. Its fame also came from being installed in the new 250 Sport in 1957, with its valve covers painted red, earning it the name Testa Rossa. But the story of Ferrari engines and their innovations does not end here. We will return to it.

The Ferrari 250 TR equipped with a four-cylinder 1984cc engine derived from the Mondial. The heads of the new engine were painted red, which gave the car its name.